Shoe machine



Feb. 16, s NE 2,071,068

SHOE MACHINE Filed 001;. 5, 1955 zz/672202 141E126 nick (5; lazes Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE MACHINE Application October 3, 1935, Serial No. 43,348

7 Claims.

This invention pertains to shoe machinery and relates more particularly to mechanism for pressing and shaping the marginal portion of a shoe upper,the present invention constituting an '51 improvement upon that disclosed in the copending application of Bernard S. Steiner, Serial No. 756,641, filed December 8, 1934.

In the machine disclosed in the aforesaid ap plication provision is made for compressing and 10 thinning the marginal material of the shoe upper by passing it between rolls having complementally shaped beveled edges. These rolls compact and thin the marginal material and cause it to assume a slight inward curvature so that the 15 top of the shoe tends snugly to fit about the last.

At the same time this operation flattens and elongates the folded edge of the outer member of the upper so that the lining appears to have been under-trimmed further than is ordinarily possi- 2 ble in the trimming machine.

While the mechanism disclosed in said application functions most satisfactorily for its intended purpose when the work is presented properly to the presser rolls, it has been found in '5 practice that careless operators sometimes fail to insert the margin of the upper properly between the rolls or to guide it in the right direc- JiOIl after the operation is initiated, with the result that instead of improving the appearance 0 of the marginal material, the latter may be creased, wrinkled, irregularly crushed or otherwise damaged.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means for guiding the work as it is entered between and during its passage through the presser rolls so that no matter how unskilled or careless the operator may be, damage from the above causes can not occur. To this end I provide a fixed guide member having surfaces so '40 arranged, respectively, as to determne the direction of approach of the Work toward the bite of the rolls and also definitely to position the free edge of the work with respect to the beveled faces of the rolls as the work passes between the latter.

45 In the accompanying drawing wherein one desirable embodiment of the invention is disclosed by way of example,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, with parts in vertical section, of so much of a machine of the class described as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the as me Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section, to larger scale, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the improved work guide removed from the machine;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the guide shown in 5 Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to that of Fig. 3, but omitting the work guide.

The present drawing illustrates only a part of the machine sufficient to indicate the application 10 of the present invention thereto, the machine as a whole being more fully illustrated and described in the aforementioned application of Bernard S. Steiner.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates the base of the machine frame, such base being adapted to be mounted upon any appropriate support, for example, a bench or table, and to be bolted or otherwise secured to the latter. From this base rises a column 2 which carries vertically spaced laterally extending bracket arms 3 and d (Fig. 1).

A main drive shaft 5 (Fig. 2) is arranged to turn in hearings in the column 2 and in a boss (not shown) forming a part of the arm 3. This shaft is driven from any suitable source of power and from this shaft are driven the various operative elements of the machine by means of appropriate drive connections. Among the elements thus driven by the main shaft is a countershaft 6 (Fig. 2), to the front end of which is fixed the bottom presser roll 1. This roll is provided with a substantially cylindrical peripheral face 8 (Fig. 6) and with a beveled peripheral face 9. Another shaft It (Fig. 1), parallel to shaft 6, is also driven from the shaft 5 but in a direction opposite to that of the shaft 6. At its forward end this shaft H3 is provided with a substantially spherical head ll united to the shaft proper by a relatively narrow neck portion. This head II telescopes within an axial bore in an elongate rigid tubular transmission member [2. The head I I is furnished with an axially elongate slot closed at both ends, and this slot receives a pin whose opposite ends are fixed in the walls of the tubular transmission member B2. The opposite end of this member l2 telescopes over a spherically curved head portion 13 of a shaft [4 mounted to turn in bearings in a movable bracket l5. At its forward end the shaft It has fixedly secured thereto the upper presser roll Hi. This upper roll has the cylindrical peripheral face I1 and the beveled peripheral face I8 (Fig. 6) complemental respectively to the faces 8 and 9 of the lower roll. The head I 3 at the rear end of the shaft 14 is 5 connected to the latter by a neck portion of reduced diameter, and this head i3 has an elongate slot open at its rear end which receives a pin whose opposite ends are fixed in the walls of the tubular rigid transmission member l2. The shaft 14 is axially removable from its bearings at will so as to permit substitution of one presser roll for another if desired, while the lower presser roll is removably secured to its shaft 6 so that it also may be exchanged for another.

The bracket [5 which provides the bearing for the upper presser roll shaft 14 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 19 (Fig. 2) arranged in an elongatebearing in a bracket member 26 (Fig. 1) carried by the arm 4. A spring 2| interposed between the brackets l5 and 20 permits a slight yielding of the bracket If: in a direction axial of the shaft Hi. The bracket I 5 is furnished with a socket opening at its top for the reception of a heating unit 22 which may be an electrical unit supplied with current through a flexible conductor 23 This unit keeps the bracket I5 at a predetermined temperature, the heat from the bracket being transmitted to the upper presser roll [6 which contacts with the bracket so that the upper presser roll may be kept hot to facilitate the pressing operation.

A shaft 23 (Fig. 2), substantially parallel to the shaft ill and to the left of the latter (as viewed in Fig. 2), is mounted to turn in aligned bearings in the column 2 and in the bracket 20, respectively, and adjacent to its forward end this shaft is furnished With a crank arm 2 carrying a crank pin or lifter 25 which rests against the right-hand face of the pivoted bracket 15 at a point substantially above the pivotal axis of the latter bracket.

The shaft 23 has a second crank arm 26 fixed thereto, said latter arm being provided with an opening adjacent to its free end to receive a flexible or other connecting element 2'! leading down to a treadle (not shown).

The upper arm 4 of the frame is furnished with a bracket 28 (Fig. 2) projecting to the left, and this bracket has a screw-threaded opening for the reception of an adjusting screw 29 whose inner end bears against a compression spring 30 which exerts a resilient thrust against the upper part of the pivoted bracket I5, tending to turn said bracket in a clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 21 as viewed in Fig. 2 and thereby to press the upper roll [6 against the lower roll I.

Preferably a work-supporting table T is mounted on the lower arm 3 of the frame to assist the operator in holdng the work in proper position while presenting its margin for engagement by the presser rolls.

The work guide of the present invention comprises a support or bracket 3| (Fig. 4) secured as by means of screws or bolts to the upper surface of the table T. Preferably the holes in the bracket 3! which receive the attaching screws are elongate to permit slight adjustment of the bracket. This work guide also comprises a substantially flat plate-like head portion 32 of a generally triangular contour (as viewed from the front, Fig. 2), said head being disposed in a substantially vertical plane and having the concave convergent edges 33 and 34 which are concentric with the peripheral surfaces of the upper and lower presser rolls it and I, respectively. These concave edges 33 and 34 are disposed very close to the beveled peripheral surfaces of the respective rolls, the rearor right-hand face (Fig. 1)

of the head preferably being substantially in or adjacent to the vertical plane of the rear or righthand end faces of the presser rolls. This head also comprises the inclined substantially flat work-directing plate 35 which preferably is nearly tangent to the cylindrical peripheral face of the upper presser roll it and which has a downwardly inclined under face directed toward the bite of the rolls. As thus disposed, the front face 38 of the head of the guide constitutes a limiting stop for the extreme edge of the work as the latter is passed between the rolls, such limiting stop positively preventing the work from being crowded too far to the right (Fig. 1) so that its extreme edge would not be gripped between the rolls. The downwardly directed plate 35 acts as a guide to assist the operator in presenting the edge of the material at the best angle for entry between the rolls and also as a guard helping to prevent the operator from injury by being caught between the rolls.

In general the machine operates in the same general way as that described in the aforementioned application of Steiner, the upper roll being movable away from the lower roll by depression of the pedal so as to permit the work to be entered between the rolls. The upper roll is forced downwardly against the lower roll with very considerable pressure by the action of the spring 30 and when the advancing end of the work has been placed between the rolls the treadle is released, thus allowing the rolls to grip the work and, while feeding it along, pressing and flattening its marginal edge. During this operation the extreme edge of the work contacts with the surface 36 of the head of the guide, such surface determining the depth of the marginal portion of the work which may be gripped between the rolls and positively preventing the work from being pushed too far transversely through the rolls to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has been shown by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction illustrated but is to be regarded as broadly inclusive of any equivalents falling within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for compressing and thinning the marginal material of a shoe upper, in combination, a pair of complemental presser rolls, a combined work guide and guard device, said device having an inclined face operative by engagement with the surface of the work to direct the latter toward the bite of the rolls, and a guard element operative by engagement with the edge of the work to limit movement of such edge laterally relatively to the faces of the rolls, said guard element being disposed substantially in th plane of the end faces of the rolls.

2. In an edge-compressing machine of the class described having a pair of complemental presser rolls, work guiding and positioning means comprising a fixed support having a head comprising an inclined plate operative by engagement with the surface of the work to direct the latter toward the bite of the rolls, said guiding means also comprising a plate-like member fitting within the angle between the approaching peripheral faces of the rolls and comprising a surface substantially perpendicular to the axes of the rolls operative by engagement with the edge of the work to limit lateral movement ofsuch edge relatively to the peripheral faces of the rolls.

3. In a machine for compressing and thinning the marginal material of a shoe upper, in combination a pair of complemental presser rolls each having a cylindrical peripheral face and a beveled peripheral face, a work guide having a head portion comprising a member operative to engage the surface of the work and to guide the work toward the bite of the rolls, the head being also provided with convergent concave surfaces concentric with the respective rolls and disposed closely adjacent to the beveled faces of the latter, said head having a work engaging surface disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axes of the rolls and closely adjacent to the radial end faces of the rolls.

4. In combination in a machine for compressing and thinning the marginal material of a shoe upper, a pair of complemental presser rolls each having a cylindrical peripheral face and a beveled peripheral face, a work guide having a head comprising an inclined work guide substantially tangent to the peripheral surface of one of said rolls, and a guard portion provided with convergent concave surface concentric with the respective rolls and disposed closely adjacent to the beveled faces of the latter, said guard portion including a work-engaging surface disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axes of the rolls and which is located closely adjacent to the plane of the end faces of the rolls.

5. In a machine of the class described having a pair of complemental presser rolls, a work guide comprising a part having a work-engaging surface operative by contact with the edge of the work to limit movement of the latter transversely of the rolls, said guide also having a part provided with an inclined work-directing surface substantially tangent to the peripheral surface of one of the rolls and directed toward the bite of the rolls.

6. In a machine of the class described having a pair of complemental presser rolls, a work guide comprising a part provided with a substantially fiat work-directing surface extending transversely of the rolls and substantially tangent to the peripheral surface of one of the rolls, said work-directing surface being inclined toward the bite of the rolls.

7. In a machine of the class described having a pair of complemental presser rolls, a work guide and guard comprising a normally fixed support provided with a substantially fiat head portion disposed in a vertical plane and having convergent upper and lower surfaces which are concentric with and closely adjacent to the peripheral surfaces of the respective presser rolls, said head comprising a work-engaging surface disposed in a plane adjacent to the plane of the end faces of the rolls and operative to limit movement of the work transversely across the peripheral faces of the rolls, said bracket also carrying a work-directing plate disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of the triangular head, said plate being inclined toward the bite of the rolls.

FREDERICK S. GLINES. 

